Best premium economy seats in BA Airbus 350-1000
90% The Alviator
10% Other
British Airways’ A350-1000 premium economy features the Recaro PL3530 seat, a widely used design also found on Emirates, Air France, and Air India. The Alviator +1
Seat Features
- Recline is generous, with a fold-up legrest and fold-down footrest from the seat in front.
- Adjustable headrest and high-definition touchscreen entertainment screen.🔗
- Seat controls and tray table are on the right armrest, with a shared cocktail table and water bottle holder between seats.🔗
- Storage includes a nook under the screen (with a small gap where items can fall) and a seat pocket (deemed not very sturdy).🔗
Charging and Amenities
- One 110V and one USB-A port per seat, though these were not powered during part of the flight.
- Amenities include noise-cancelling headphones, a Christmassy amenity kit with socks and eyeshades, a soft quilted blanket, and a supportive pillow.🔗
- Slippers are available on request, which was a welcome touch for overnight flights.🔗
Pricing and Experience
- Seat selection fee is £94 (approximately HK$985), which reviewers found excessive despite the seat’s comfort.
- While the seat and amenities are strong, the overall experience is let down by weak execution—especially in ground service, boarding, and crew response times.🔗
- The airline’s premium economy product is close to world-class but falls short due to operational flaws, despite strong catering and seat quality.🔗
Comparison with Other Carriers
- Compared to Finnair’s HAECO-designed Vector seats (offered on some A350s), British Airways’ seats are standard off-the-shelf Recaro models with less unique design.
- Finnair charges around £47 for seat selection, significantly less than BA’s £94.🔗
- SAS offers 38 inches of seat pitch with universal charging ports, but lacks personal air vents.🔗
Overall, British Airways’ A350-1000 premium economy offers a solid, comfortable seat with strong amenities, but the high seat fee and operational shortcomings prevent it from being the top choice. The Alviator +1
The Alviator 32%
British Airways’ A350 Premium Economy: Exceptionally Well-Intentioned, Passably Executed
Today I flew British Airways’ A350 premium economy from London to Hong Kong. While I’ve flown British Airways’ 777 premium economy and their A350 Club Suite (and Jason has flown their 787 premium economy), neither of us have flown British Airways’ A350 premium economy before. In fact, British Airways introduced a new premium economy seat on their A350 that you’ll also find on some of their 777s and 787s, and today was my first time trying this seat. I remember being very pleasantly surprised by British Airways’ premium economy product a few years back, so was looking forward to
The Alviator 50%
Review: British Airways A350 Premium Economy (LHR-HKG)
| THE ALVIATOR'S VERDICT British Airways is so close to having a really good premium economy product, with the seat, catering, amenities and entertainment/WiFi all being great; however, it seems to just fumble on some of the basics, including an inefficient boarding process, extortionate seat selection fees, and weak service flow | 4.0 | In my quest to find the world’s best premium economy product, I’ve always found myself bereft in my duty, as I’ve never tried British Airways’ new premium economy (rolled out on their A350s in 2019, and extended to their 777 aircraft) based at my current
The Alviator 8%
Review: Finnair A350 Premium Economy (PVG-HEL)
| THE ALVIATOR'S VERDICT There's a little cost-cutting going on in Finnair premium economy, and this isn't one of the world's best premium economy products. However, I found it to be much less "low-cost" than I was expecting, given the airline's recent challenges | 4.0 | I’m trying to find the world’s best premium economy product, especially between Europe and Asia, a route I fly very often. In November 2025, the opportunity arose to try Finnair’s A350 premium economy class quite cheaply. I took up this opportunity, and booked a flight from Shanghai to London via Helsinki (both in
Live and Let's Fly 10%
Review: SAS A350-900 Premium Economy Class
My 11-hour journey from Copenhagen to Los Angeles on the Airbus A350-900 was quite pleasant and productive for a daytime flight, though I’d love to see SAS put a bit more effort into its food and beverages in premium economy. I’m sitting on quite a few SAS EuroBonus miles and SAS offers excellent redemption pricing on its own metal (30K one-way in economy, 40K in premium economy, or 50K in business class between Europe and North America). While business class is always the goal and well worth the extra 10-20K miles each way, I’ll take what I can get